Gas scrubber



H.v G. JOHNSTON GAS SCRUBBER Filed sept. 13, 1922 GAS INLET Aug. 21, 1923.

WATER LEVEL WAYER '.vEL

WATER mer -lil - STL/Qi nonnen e. .ronns'ron7 Ol? CRSIGAN, TEXAS.'

ees scatenare.' A A application led September 13, 1922. Serial No', 588,056'.

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that HORACE G. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corsicana, in the county of Navarro `and State of Texas, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Scrubbers; and he does hereby` declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

This invention relates to apparatus for separating impurities Jfrom gas, and more particularly for purifying producer-gas 'made from lignite or bituminous coal, separating' the tar, oil and other liquids and -solids therefrom and rcontinually drawing off the tar a-nd.oil, which constitute a valuable by 'product of the process.

An object of the invention is to remove completely from gas, particularly combustible gas, all impurities, thus rendering, for example, producer gas susceptible or .use in internal combustion engines withoutv gumming or carbonizing the cylinders, pistons and valves, or rendering suoli gas capable of being completely burned in any gas combustion apparatus.

rlhe invention consists in a scrubbing apparatus provided with a water seal into which an inlet conduit for the gas discharges, a` means for supplying wash water to the water seal, a draw ol' conduit for continually floating off the tar, oil and other loatable impurities, a means for reducing the pressure of the gas escaping from the conduit into the water, and forwidely distributing the gas through the water; it also consists in combinations and details of construction more specifically described hereinafter, defined in theappended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

.The drawing ,illustrates the improved scrubber in vertical longitudinal section.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the side wall of an air tight container, which may be a cylinder having a bottom 2, a circular supporting' ring 3 vof angular cross section.

riveted or otherwise secured, as at 4, to the wall 1 at a suitable distance above the bot toni 2. Resting upon the ring 3 is a grat-y ing, or perforated supporting member 5, having a central opening at 6. The supporting member may comprise radiating graterhars 5a. `l-'lthe upper end oit the container'is closed.A as 'by a cap 7,-riveted as.

' at 7, or otherwise secured to the upperend of wall 1. Cap 7 may have suitable inan holes or other openings therein, closed by covers 8 and 9. Extending through the cap 7, thence downward within the container through the opening 6 in the grating 5, pref. erably in' the center of the container, is a gas inlet conduit 10 having, below the grating 5, an open discharge end 11. 'lheidischarge end of said conduit is surrounded by a battle 12 secured thereto, which is preferably in the i'orin of an inverted dish having a plurality of perforations 13, the aggregate area or which should be greater thanthecross sectionalarea of the conduit l0. vWithin conduitl 10 is a vertical series of bates 14: and 15. These battles may be of any approved stylelg' those shown consist of conoidal shells alternately disposed in relatively inverted positions, each battle 14 having a central opening and having its Outer edge connected tO the under wall of the conduit 10, while each baffle 15 is secured to a rod 16 which passes through its apex, the Outer, edge being spaced from the inner surface of conduit '10. Rod 16 may be supported by spiders 17, 17 a at the upper and lower portions respectively, of concuit 10.

Connected to the upper end of conduit 10 above the cap 7 is a gas main 18 leading from agenerator (not shown), such as a gas producer, through which hot gas flows` under pressure from the producer into conduit 10. The gas in main 18 may be forced by a blower (not shown) if desired into conduit 10, so as to maintain an even pressure of impure gas iowing to the scrubber. Projected downward centrally into the upper end of conduit 10, from outside the container, is a water pipe 19. Encircling the conduit 10' within the upper portion of the container is an annular pipe 2O which may be positioned midway between the conduitlO and the wall 1. Perforations are formed in the pipe 20, and a water supply pipe 21 passes through the cover 7 and connects with pipe 20' atr'Qla., Water may, therefore, be admitted to conduit 10, and

`cascade over the baiiles to the lower end oi lower end expanded and riveted lto the wall v y with a valve 27.

tainer to the place'of use or storage, and in practice a pump or blower (not shown) may create a draft in said pipe 22 to drawgas from the scrubber in a well known and customary manner.

In use, the annular space between thel .10. Said inner wall 24 is so spaced from wall 1 as to provide an endless water receiv' ing channel between it and the wall l; and the wall 24 for this purpose may have its 1' as shown at 23. v

Tapped through the wall l into the channel formed by wall 24 and below the upper ledge thereofvis a pipe 26 which constitutes a draw-oli'1 conduit for tar, oil or other iioatable material. Pipe 26 may be equipped Leading into the lower end of container 1 below the baiile 12 is a water inlet pipe n 2,8 equipped with a valve 29.

In operation gas-from a producer or other generator,l is conducted through main 18 into' gas inlet conduit 10 and passes downwardv therethrough, being bailied byI the `cono'idal baiile members 14 and 15 and forced .into contact witl-i'water 'falling from pipe 19 which cascades in films on its way vto the discharge end of the outlet conduit.

This treatment removes heat from the'gas and condenses the condensible oil and tar vapors that accompany` it.. The gas and oils (which are lighter than water) seek to'rise after leaving the discharge end of conduit 10. The perforated baille prevents them A from boiling vio-lently upward close to the conduit 10,- and the gas and oil are forced to spread and findtheirV way through the vseveral orifices 13 and are thence distributed4 widely through the water seal passing upward through it in a plurality of small bubbles or streams at reduced pressure. `In

this manner the tar'becomes well separated from the gas. Further, as the gas rises'from the surface of the water seal it is obliged,

to pass through a rain of drops falling from the scrubbing coke and bestill further cleaned. The gas then iinds its way up' ward between the wet particles of scrub` b ing material so that by the time it passes out through gas outlet 22 it is clean enough to be burned successfully in the cylinders of internal,combustion engines or elsewhere. The, oil 'and tar separated from theA gas iioats on the surface of the water seal and continually overflows the upper edge of partition 24 into thefannular channel whence it is continually drawn 'oli' through pipe 26 and is' recovered as a'valuable by-product.

Ordinarily thewash water falling from above adequately supplies the water seal.

The water seal may, however, be supplied v through pipe 28, or both 'means of supply may be used together, orasneed requires. The pressure o-f the gas will displace the water from within the tube 6 ,so that -the gas may bubble up through the liquid.' The dilference of pressure A between vthe conduit 10 andgas'outlet 22 necessary to force the l gasthrough the water seal can be produced 'and governed by a blower in main 18 and the usual blower or hereinafter suggested.4 l

Having described my claim is V Y 1. In apparatus for' separating oil, tar or other substances from 'gas produced invention, what I pump in outlet 22 is from coal or the like, the' combination of I' a container, a gas inlet. conduit entering said container and extending downward therein,

said conduit having, about its discharge end, a baille provided with a plurality of perforations, a dr'aw-ofl" conduit, and means adapted to maintain water at a constant level above said baille and the discharge end of the .gas inlet conduit, said draw-olf conduit'being adapted `to continually draw off oil and tar washed from the gas, means for showering scrubbing water-within the' container in the space between the gas inletconduit and the wall of the container, and a gas outlet.

2. In apparatus for separatin oil, tar orV other substances from gas pro uced'jfroni coal or the like, the combination of a container, a. gas vinlet conduit entering'said container and extending downward therein, said conduit having, about its discharge end, an

inverted disk shaped baille, said baiilebeing.

provided with a plurality of peforations the total area of which is greater than the cross 'sectional area of the inletcpnduit, a drawoif conduit, and means adapted to maintain water at a constant level above said baille and the discharge -end of the gas inlet conduit, said draw-oil' conduit being adapted to continually draw oil the oil and tar Washed from the gas, and means forshowering scrubbing water Withinl the container in the space between the lgasinlet conduit and the wall of the container,.and'a gas outlet.

3. In apparatus for removing oil, tar and v other' vsubstances from gas producedy from coal cr the like, the combination of a con-i tainer, a gas'inlet conduit enterin said container and extending downward t erein said conduit having an enlarged lower discharge end adapted to distribute widely the gas issuing therefrom, a water inlet pipe dis-1 charging into the lower portion of the container,a1id a draw-off conduit above the adapted to maintain the water at a constant level and continually draw off the tar and oil washed from the gas, anda gasloutlet.

4. ln apparatus for removing oil, tar and otherv substances from gas produced from coal or the like, the combination of a container, a gas inlet conduit entering said container, extending downward therein, and discharging near the bottom ;hereof, an inner wall surrounding the lower end of said inlet conduit having lts upper edge above the discharge end of said conduit and forming, with the outer wallof the container, an endless channel for receiving liquid overflowing said inner wall, a pipe tor admitting water into the lower portion of said container, and a draw-off uconduit having its entrance end disposed below the top of said inner wall for continuously drawing oii oil and tar overflowing into the endless channel, and an outlet for the washed gas.

5. In apparatus for separating oil,tar and other substances from gas produced from coal or the like, the combination ofc a con tainer, a gas inletlconduit entering said container and extending downward therein, said conduit having an enlarged lower discharge end adapted to distribute widely the gas issuing therefrom, an inner wall surrounding the lower end of said inlet conduit, having its upper edge above the discharge end ot' said conduit, and forming, with the outer wall of the container, an endless channel for receiving liquid overflowing said innerwall,

' means for showering scrubbing water Within said container in the space between the gas inlet conduit and the wall of the container', a draw-od' conduit having its entrance end disposed below the top oi said inner wallfor continuously drawing ofi" the oil and tar overowin into the endless channel, and an outlet for t e washed gas. l

t3. ln apparatus for separating oil, tar, and other substances from gas produced from coal or the like, the combination of a container, a gas inlet conduit entering said container and extending downward therein,said conduit having an inverted disk shaped batlle at its lower end, said bafiie being provided with a plurality of perforations the total area of which is greater than the cross sectional area of the inlet conduit, an inner wall surrounding the lower end of said inlet conduit having its upper edge above the discharge end of said conduit, and forming with the outer wall of the container an endless channel for receiving liquid overiowing said inner wall, a pipe for admitting water into the lower portion of said container,

means for showering scrubbing water within said container in the space between the gas inlet conduit and the wall of the container, a draw-ott conduit having its entrance end dis posed below the tcp or said inner wall for continuously drawing ott the oil and tar over-iiowing in to the endless channel, and an outlet for the washed gas ln testirnonyY whereof l ailix mv signature.

nennen aonnsfron 

